Values and the Use of Community Services

Abstract

Objective factors have traditionally been used to study service use. Difficulty in explaining variability in service use has resulted in suggestions that thought be given to subjective factors. Difficulty in isolating subjective factors led to this study of the types of values that influence the use of community services by caregivers of persons with dementing disease. Persons who care for family members who have dementing diseases face an arduous task that has been described as requiring a "36-hour day" but report low rates of community service use. A content analysis was conducted of interview responses of 34 caregivers of a relative with dementia. Three major value concepts were identified: family obligation, reciprocity, and the need for control. Matrices were then developed to explore potential links between expressed values and patterns of use of community services. Implications for clinical practice and research are presented.